Barr Hammock Levy Prairie Reserve Grand Opening

The Grand Opening of the Barr Hammock Levy Prairie Preserve was a Grand Success! It was a gorgeous day and over 150 people attended the event on Saturday. Thank you to Ramesh Buch, Kelly McPherson and Sandra Vardaman of the Alachua County Forever program for all of their hard work in preparing for the opening of the preserve.

Cutting the Ribbon! Chris Bird, Alachua County Environmental Protection Director; Alachua Co. Commissioner Robert Hutchinson; Alachua Co. Commission Chair Mike Byerly; Alachua Co. Forever Program Manager Ramesh Buch; Alachua Co. Commissioner Lee Pinkoson, NRCS representative, and Interim Alachua Co. Manager Rick Drummond. Photo by Mark Sexton.

Overall, there are 5,719 acres to the preserve, making it the largest of the county’s conservation acquisitions. The majority of its landscape is marsh and wet prairie that is hydrologically tied to Paynes Prairie; all part of a larger greenway system that connects conservation areas together throughout Florida. The Barr Hammock Levy Prairie Preserve is part of the greenway that connects the Ocala National Forest to the Goethe State Forest. The Conservation Trust was a partner in the grant applications and has agreed to assist Alachua County with field trips and educational programs at the Preserve.Attendees at the Grand Opening learned all about the preserve at information exhibits and then went off on foot, bicycle, or on a hayride to see the lands and their flora and fauna firsthand.

Terri Mashour,  Gator Glob Nature Contributor, shared highlights from the event on-line: “The comissioners described the property and it’s karst characteristics, very thin limestone that allows rain water to seep directly into the Floridan Aquifer, our drinking water. They explained the greenway connection that Barr Hammock Preserve fills in, allowing linkages for our Florida black bears (YES! There are black bears in our county!), our deer, our birds to move about the area without being blocked by development. They explained the importance of the partnerships that gathered to find funding to purchase this great expanse of open space, in a time when funding for purchasing conservation lands is scarce.”Terri also operates Gainesville Ecotours, which hosted a hike during the event. Gainesville Ecotours will be working with CTF to bring 12 hikes to the public in the coming year. Thanks to Terri for sharing the photos from the event.

The grand opening was covered by TV 20. Watch the news clip here:
http://www.wcjb.com/local-news/2013/02/huge-addition-alachua-countys-public-lands-levy-prairie

The Gainesville Sun also covered the event too:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130131/ARTICLES/130139892
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130202/ARTICLES/130209935

CTF Accredited by the Land Trust Alliance

On February 21, 2012 the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced that the Conservation Trust for Florida, Inc. was awarded accredited status.

“Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever,” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”

CTF is one of 158 land trusts from across the country that have been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation. Land trusts throughout the country have worked with willing landowners to save over 47 million acres of land.

“Receiving the ‘seal of approval’ from the Land Trust Accreditation Program has been a tremendous boost to the Conservation Trust for Florida and assures us that CTF is growing in the right direction. It’s inspiring to know that our hard work has been recognized, and that we have a firm foundation for future growth,” said Busy Kislig-Shires Byerly Assistant Executive Director.

Thank you to CTF’s Board of Directors for their commitment to permanent land conservation. 

Special thanks to CTF Staff Members Busy Kislig-Shires Byerly, Kristianna J. Lindgren, CTF Land Conservation Director, and former staff members Ellen Huntley Dube’, and Vicki Leslie Duncan for their help compiling all the information for the application.

Welcome New CTF Executive Committee & Board Members

At the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors held at the Herlong Mansion B&B on January 28th, a new Executive Committee was elected.

Executive Committee

President: David Pais, Owner of Pais Realty and Pais Landscapes.

Vice-President: Ed Montgomery, Director, Real Estate Sales and Marketing for TerraPointe Services.

Treasurer: Nancy J. Peterson, Associate Director for Research and Services, Univ. of FL School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

Secretary: Stephen Nesbitt, Sandhill crane and eagle expert. Ornithologist and retired Biological Administrator for the Florida Wildlife Commission and member of the Whooping Crane Recovery Team.

Welcome New Board Members!

Mike Webster: Mike grew up in south Florida as a conservation ethic emerged from issues surrounding the Jetport, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Everglades System restoration. A northeast Florida resident since the late 1970s, Mike served on the Board of the Florida Wildlife Federation and witnessed the creation of Jennings State Forest and the related Ravines, Talbot Island State Park, Guana WMA/State Park, Northeast Florida Timberlands Reserve, and Osceola National Forest Pinhook addition. Mike has been involved with diverse local government growth management proceedings, and is the recipient of the City of Jacksonville Mimi and Lee Adams Environmental Award. A licensed Yacht Broker, he is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys and uses Florida’s public lands and waterways, and is a member of a hunting club.

Lee “Alex” Wheeler III: Alex is a Senior Accounting Manager at Bunting Tripp and Ingley LLP CPA’s in Lake Wales, Florida, where he specializes in not-for-profit organizations. He is a former Polk School Board member and city commissioner, and served five terms as mayor of Lake Wales. He is past president of Green Horizons Land Trust, Chairman and founding member of Lake Wales Free Clinic, Inc., treasurer of the Lake Wales Health Care Foundation, and was named 2010 Citizen of the Year. He is an avid SCUBA diver who enjoys camping and working with environmental causes.